Bill Fleming

My Feedback: (35)

Hi Stickbuilder:

So sorry about not getting back to you sooner. I took an extended vacation and upon return, found your manual in my mail. I really do appreciate your sending it and the time and expense in doing so. Fact is, it took a while to figure out who had sent it. Your return address is all I had to go on. I used your zip code and last name and did a search on RCU. Bingo! There was Stickbuilder.

I really do appreciate what you did for me. And, I did receive some benefit from it.

Bill

Stickbuilder

Shucks, glad to be of some small assistance, Bill. We WACO Nuts always stick together. I finished covering my fuselage this morning, and just doped on the first of the pinking tapes to the fuselage seams. Pics to follow soon.

Bill, AMA 4720

evdo

Yes, waiting for pics to follow! love the pics!

Stickbuilder

Here's a few

Stickbuilder

And a few more You're going to have to wait until tomorrow to see the covered fuselage. LiPoly camera batteries are charging.

Bill, AMA 4720

Stickbuilder

Okay, you asked for it. Here tiz.

Bill, AMA 4720

evdo

Very nice, Bill - The twin fits nicely in that cowl-- do you have a color scheme picked out yet for it? Also I'd be interested in any weight measurements (even approx) you have done?

Tom

Stickbuilder

It's going to be done in Maroon (Burgandy) with cream trim. Single stage automotive paint. I have done several and (depending on the engine, they have all weighed between 14,5 and 17 pounds. This one should come in around 15.75 pounds. I do not have a real accurate scale available to me at home, but the fuselage at this stage of completion, probably weighs around 4 pounds. There have been several weight adding mods to enable the front of the structure to accept the radial engine mount vs. the beam mount that is standard. A chunk of 5/16 plywood this size is fairly heavy. You need to remember that this bird has in excess of 1500 square inches of wing area, so this model can take on considerable extra weight before the flying charistics begin to deteriorate.

Bill, AMA 4720

Bill Fleming

My Feedback: (35)

Hi Bill:

With the short nose length, is nose weight generally required? If so, I'm going to use a heavy engine. I hate ballast! (-:

Bill Fleming

Stickbuilder

Bill,

I'm using the OS 160 twin, and the radial mount. This package, with the additional firewall weight means that I can use a JR 2400ah battery pack, and adjust the C/G with the placement of the battery pack. I too hate dead weight, and have even used more than one airborne pack in the past in order to not melt lead to adjust ballast. If i'm going to carry the weight, it has to be useful. The last one of these that I built had the same power system, and with the on board glow system, installed, the model balanced out without any extra weight.

Bill AMA 4720

Stickbuilder

Still working on the Koverall. I got the Landing Gear fairings installed today, and got the Koverall on them. I still have to do the top cuffs for the landing gear, and I'll probably wait until I install the tail group, and will do the Landing gear cuffs, the vertical and horizontal stab and the lower wing fairing all at the same time. That is a fairly time consuming project in itself, as are the fairings for the cabanes. I will do the scale fuel lines at that time as well. I'm at the stage of building where it seems that you work your tail off, and there is nothing to show for it. That's what sets a scale model apart from the, "Flying Crosses".

I'm ordering the wheel pants from Fiberglass Specialties, and will have to do a little modification to them in the mount area. There are sub fairings that must be hand laid up from glass to blend the wheel pants to the landing gear fairings. It all takes time, but the end result is worth it.

Bill, AMA 4720

cheechukranch

Just picked up a 1/5th Pica Waco on eBay. I've a 35cc MVVS gasser that needs a home. Is this too much engine for this plane?

Stickbuilder

It sure won't be under powered. I would not hesitate to use any engine that will fit within the confines of the cowling. I would, however, never ever install an engine that required cutting the cowling to allow the engine to fit. You are going to need to redesign the front of the fuselage to enable a radial engine mount, since the thin plywood on the firewall will not support any engine that is required ot fly this model. I use 5/16" plywood, and cut a new firewall. Also you will need to modify the formers in the tank area to allow loading the tank from the rear. Other than that, the kit is pretty straightforward. Note: you should consider two aileron servo's instead of the one servo that the plans show. The bellcrank setup allows for too much lost motion and sloppiness.

Bill, AMA 4720

Stickbuilder

I missed that one going on e-bay. I thought that I had at least gotten a bid in on all of them. Dang!!! I missed one.

Bill, AMA 4720

cheechukranch

Yeah...the fellow didn't know what he had, I got it for $150 on buy it now. They seem to always go for well over $200.

Stickbuilder

I paid $330.00 for the last one that I bought. You want to make a profit on the one that you bought?

Bill, AMA 4720

cheechukranch

Sure thing! You can send me one of these as a trade.

[link]http://www.proctor-enterprises.com/products/barth/waco/waco.htm[/link]

I'll even settle for the 1/4 scale.

Stickbuilder

I think I'll pass on that. I am accustomed to having my customers try and rob me, but not on my hobby items. They are pretty, are they not? I think that they are somewhat pricey though.

Bill, AMA 4720

Stickbuilder

Bill Fleming,

How are you coming on your WACO? Some pics would be nice. We Waco fanatics never see enough of them.

Bill, AMA 4720

Stickbuilder

Mine's coming along. These pics were taken about 30 minutes ago Sunday 9/3/2006

Bill, AMA 4720

Stickbuilder

And some more.

rchorn

Hey Stickbuilder there's a waco for sale at Trains & Lanes Hobby Shop in Easton if your interested the fellow is asking $650.00 for it. It has a Saito 180 in it but it's on the heavy side, around 18#s. I use to own it and sold it , I'd sure like to find another but in a kit form. I bought this one from a friend of mine after a mishap and rebuilt it, for some reason or other the original builder used brass sheet for the landing gear struts and that really put the weight on. The plane flys good though even on the heavy side and the 180 pulls like crazy.

If a kit come along that you hear of give me a shout, I'd really appreciate it.

Stickbuilder

Thanks, but I only fly what I build. I appreciate you thinking of me though.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

Stickbuilder

This may fall on deaf ears, but all that's left, is to finish the cream color trim, and It's an airplane.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

evdo

Wow, very nice-- looking forward to seeing it w/ trim.. hopefully I'll will be working on mine this winter, still trying to decide on engine that twin looks very nice but $$$ may be out of my budget.. Did you end up having to add any extra weight to balance after covering/paint?

-Tom